Chapters 16 and 17 are wonderful and revealing chapters about how this new missionary journey would bear fruit.  First and foremost was the founding of church at Phillipi although the churches of the Thessalonians and the Bereans were also established afterwards.  In Philippi, Paul and Silas were imprisoned after a demonic woman was delivered of her possession.  Paul was troubled by her continued announcements and cast out the demon.   The local businesses were benefited by her soothsaying though, it seems, and so Paul and Silas were put into the city jail from which they were delivered by an earthquake.  The jailer and his household were saved through this miracle and Paul’s preaching.  They then left town at the request of the town magistrates when Paul announced that they had been unjustly beaten though Roman citizens.  But the church at Philippi was the fruit of it all.  They traveled then to Thessalonica and Berea barely escaping imprisonment but their ministry brought forth much fruit as many were saved and taught there.  The theme throughout was that through much suffering Paul’s ministry of grace would be used by God to bring many to a glorious salvation. 

Chapter 15 opens with this leading statement:  “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.” Acts 15:1-2.  Peter explained how he was convinced of this great work of Almighty God by signs and wonders and that those proved God’s open door to the west to Gentiles by grace WITHOUT requirements such as Jewish circumcision.  An agreement was reached to send a letter by Paul and his associates to the Gentile churches outlining a few principles the Gentile converts should practice to maintain order with believing Jews in those cities.  After returning to Antioch, and after much discussion, Barnabas departs to Cyprus carrying this letter and Paul and Silas, his new companion, begin the Second Missionary Journey to the cities in Asia Minor where the churches had been established during the First Journey.  Grace reigns, independently of Israel’s conversion!

Chapter 14 includes the preaching of Paul and his associates in a number of cities.  But unbelieving Jews followed him from city to city and attempted a stoning in one city and accomplished one in another, but nevertheless the ministry bore much fruit.  Finally, after retracing their steps they returned by sea to Antioch from which they had been sent forth to the Gentiles by the grace of God.  There was much rejoicing in the church there when the news was reported concerning the salvation of the Gentiles. And so the first missionary journey was completed.  This provides the opening for chapter 15, the chapter of a developing division within the body of believers in Jerusalem and, potentially in Antioch as well.  Praise God that as Paul exclaimed to the believers in a number of cities “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God”.  For the Lord was opening the door of faith to the Gentiles as he closed other doors to the Jews, and all so that grace might reign through Jesus Christ.

Soon after Paul and Barnabas returned from a quick visit in Jerusalem, they went to Antioch, where, the Holy Spirit spoke commanding them to depart for Gentile lands and so they did. In Crete they spoke in the synagogues leaving behind a blinded Jewish false teacher and an enlightened Gentile.  Then they left Crete and arrived by ship in our present day Turkey where considerable Jews had migrated.  Paul preached there in Perga and then went on to speak inland at the synagogue in Antioch of Psidia, where he delivered his first recorded message here in the Acts. It was memorable indeed, focusing primarily on the Old Testament prophecies regarding Israel’s coming messiah as found in Psalms 2 & 16, Isaiah 55, and perhaps Psalm 49 as well.  Paul did not argue the case but merely quoted from these OT sources allowing the Holy Spirit to write these truths on the hearts of those that heard.  Christ had died and was risen — and he was therefore the only source of forgiveness and salvation.  But the rulers of the synagogue there rejected his message concerning their Risen Messiah and opposed those Jews and Gentiles that had believed.  Paul’s striking condemnation of them finishes the chapter with the new believers rejoicing in their new found faith and its many blessings.

The Jews that had believed in Antioch were the first that had come to know of God’s great mercy and grace as God’s great enemy Saul was gloriously saved.  They received him willingly upon hearing the story.  But what about the Jewish believers in Jerusalem and Judea?  Would they be as willing?  Today we have the privilege of seeing how through an abundance of signs and wonders Peter does accept Saul.  But then, because others of the church in Jerusalem continued to be fearful of him, and perhaps even more of his actions and preaching, God saves miraculously a Roman centurion named Cornelius with his family.  Peter and the others are convinced by the sheer miracle of this that God is unmistakably now saving Gentiles.  The historical account in chapter 11 proceeds with missionaries being sent to Gentile lands even though to this point the outreach had only been to the Jews.  This leads directly to Barnabas traveling to Tarsus to find Saul who has gone there for his own protection from unbelieving Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.  This sets the stage for the refocus on Antioch and not Jerusalem any longer where the next chapter will begin.  Next time, Saul and others will be sent forth on their first missionary journey to the Gentile.

If they only had known it, Stephen’s death at the hands of Israel’s religious leaders was a signal to that nation that the advancing “Pentecostal” outreach to God’s people was now failing.  Perhaps God would now turn his back on Israel as Stephen had so strongly suggested in his great message in chapter 7 of the Acts.  For the one bringing the accusation against Stephen was a young man named Saul.  Today, we move ahead to see as chapter 9 records it how this same man Saul was traveling to Damascus with official papers from the high priest and Israel’s elders to continue arresting the believers.  But Saul was intercepted on the road by Christ himself who introduced himself with these words: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? … I am Jesus whom thou persecutest”.  Saul’s life was transformed by these words.  We finished our study by seeing how Saul’s life was radically transformed by the power of God as he in due time became a powerful witness for Jesus as Israel’s long awaited Messiah.  Saul also learned, in this case through a disciple named Ananias, how much he would soon begin to suffer for Christ’s sake, what would become the hallmark of his testimony as he then might rightfully proclaim in his letters, how through weakness God’s grace would now be made manifest. 

Perhaps the greatest miracle of all in the early chapters of the Acts (before Paul’s salvation, that is) was the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing a singleness of heart to all believers that led to the selling of properties and the proceeds being distributed according to need.  However, even with so many spiritual and physical miracles proving that God was working toward the realization of the earthly Kingdom, the religious leaders of Israel still were in rebellion and would not accept Jesus as their risen Messiah.  Peter offered the kingdom in Acts 3 and on multiple occasions after that without a positive response by Israel’s religious leaders. Then, finally, when Stephen preached that great message recorded in Acts 7 in which he so powerfully blamed Israel’s leaders for the death of our Lord, they stoned him.  In this event, Israel had now in the plan of God nationally rejected the salvation of God.  The Lord would consequently turn away from Israel through the salvation of Saul, renamed Paul, and his appointment as apostle of the Gentiles.

One thing we have learned in our studies on the Great Transition is that the preaching of the Kingdom when it is authorized by God is always accompanied by Signs and Wonders.  That is so evident in the early chapters of Acts.  In chapter 2 Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost and the great miracle was that of foreign languages.  All those Jews that had gathered in Jerusalem speaking only languages other than Hebrew or Aramaic heard and understood Peter’s message that day.  That was convincing and 3000 were converted. Now, in chapter 3 Peter preaches boldly again and this time it is in the Temple with the high priest and other rulers of the Nation of Israel in attendance. A man has been healed and no one can deny it.  Peter preaches that those present, Israel’s rulers, are personally responsible for his death and that they will judged when he returns. Israel’s rulers reject that message even though Signs and Wonders have been seen by so many.  That message was the first of several offers of the Kingdom to this rebellious nation. Peter’s message that day was an offer of the Kingdom to the nation such that if they would receive it they would be forgiven when the Lord returned.  But they clearly did not and plotted against the disciples.  The Lord did require a believing and “elect” nation and a people for his name.

Today we reach our next major development in the ongoing post-resurrection ministry of the apostles to God’s chosen people, Israel.  Since Pentecost, Signs and Wonders have been manifested as the Gospel of the Kingdom was preached.  Thousands have come to repentance and faith in their risen Messiah. Chapter 3 opens with the Lord using Peter to heal a man crippled from birth.  He praises God accompanying many into the Temple itself.  The healing cannot be denied by Israel’s religious rulers and they confront Peter with the simple question “how did you do it?”  His answer concludes with his preaching of the risen and then ascended Christ who is awaiting God the Father’s command to return in judgment of those who had not believed.  About 5000 do repent at this offer of the Kingdom but the leaders of Israel refuse that message and seek to cause additional trouble for the apostles.  Miraculous signs including a manifestation of true unity of spirit and a communal sharing of personal property with each other sets the stage for chapter 5 and the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

Last time we learned that the Gospel of the Kingdom was preached as “at hand” and that preaching was accompanied by God-given Signs and Wonders.  After Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection the disciples were asked to wait for the giving of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit of God, called by our Lord Jesus “the Promise”.  He then ascended to the right hand of God to reside there until, as he said, he would return to judge the world.  In preparation for that, the message was to be preached as before regarding the Kingdom which was “at hand” but now with the added component that was so important, that the one Israel had crucified was alive from the dead!  Repentance in that national context was required in addition to individual and personal faith in their Resurrected Messiah.  Pentecost was the day Peter preached that message.  Thousands believed with as the promised signs of Joel’s chapter 2 prophecy of many speaking in foreign languages were given. Those Jews from foreign lands in Jerusalem on pilgrimage understood Peter’s and the other’s preaching and this was a Sign no one present could deny.  What would be next considering that Joel’s prophecy was in some measure (but not entirely) being fulfilled?  Was the resurrected Lord soon returning to judge his deniers?